MILES O’LEARY

Evening Travel Update

THE MP for Portsmouth South says she has ‘major concerns’ over the economy and the future of small businesses in the region following the EU referendum result.

It comes as interior design firm Design House Southsea warns its customers are stalling on committing to big orders as they’re worried about how Brexit could affect their finances.

These quotas in both Winchester and Southsea, have been a little bit slower in coming to fruition, leading up to the EU referendum result as well. People were waiting for, “business as usual.”

Keith Scorgie, managing director of Design House Southsea

But the Marmion Road business says it’s vital people are not put off spending money – as Britain’s exit from the European Union won’t be for at least another two years while negotiations are thrashed out.

MP Flick Drummond, who backed prime minister David Cameron in his efforts to try to secure a victory for the Remain campaign, said: ‘I have major concerns about the economy.

‘Local businesses are suffering already and that’s a big concern to me.

‘It’s the lack of confidence at the moment which we have got to address.’

Keith Scorgie, managing director of Design House Southsea, said: ‘We are quoting for a large spend in some cases.

‘These quotes in both Winchester and Southsea have been a little bit slower in coming to fruition, leading up to the EU referendum result as well. People were waiting for “business as usual”.

‘But we have had one or two now say “we will hold on and find out what is going on to happen’’. It’s a concern.

‘What we’ve had discussions about is what can we do to make them realise that nothing will change for two years, so let’s be sensible about this and crack on.

‘We want to encourage people to spend.’

Meanwhile, Mrs Drummond has also dismissed any suggestion that the next prime minister needs to be a Leave supporter following the success of the Brexit campaign.

Brexit backer Andrea Leadsom, who has become the favourite to take on front-runner Theresa May in the battle to be the next prime minister, believes the next leader should be pro-Leave rather than someone ‘reluctantly following the wishes of the people’.

But Mrs Drummond, who is backing Mrs May, says Ms Leadsom is ‘too inexperienced’ for the role and it doesn’t matter whether the chosen candidate was pro Leave or Remain in the EU campaign.

Mrs Drummond said: ‘Andrea is very good, but she has no experience in cabinet and is an inexperienced minister and it’s not her time. Theresa has had a lot of experience in cabinet for a long time. The vote has been taken, we need to deal with it and achieve the best possible outcome.’